When it comes to prioritizing user stories, the person responsible for the prioritization often has to work behind the scenes with other Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) to determine what the priority should be. The challenge lies in making conversations around prioritization productive amidst competing agendas, personal preferences, alliances and other forms of subjective decision making.

So, how does one get to an order that is clear, understandable, and agreeable (hopefully) to all? A technique that works very well is the creation of a user story map. A user story map done right will:

Be Tangible or Tactile: Software is great, but "low tech" is often times better for work sessions that require a high level of collaboration. Physical maps bring people together and that's where the magic happens